Achiral 2‐pyridone and 4‐aminopyridine act as chiral inducers of asymmetric autocatalysis with amplification of enantiomeric excess via the formation of chiral crystals

Abstract

Enantiomorphous crystals of achiral 2‐pyridone and 4‐aminopyridine served as sources of chirality, to induce the asymmetric autocatalysis of 5‐pyrimidyl alkanol during the asymmetric addition of diisopropylzinc to the corresponding pyrimidine‐5‐carbaldehyde, that is, the Soai reaction. Following a significant amplification of enantiomeric excess through asymmetric autocatalysis, highly enantioenriched 5‐pyrimidyl alkanol could be synthesized with their corresponding absolute configurations to those of chiral crystals of 2‐pyridone and 4‐aminopyridine.